Anzhi boss Hiddink refuses to rule out Chelsea return

By Charlie Burgon

The 66-year-old manager admits he cannot predict where he will be next season, and remains coy over a second stint at Stamford Bridge with Rafa Benitez set to depart this summer

Former Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has refused to rule out a return to the West-London club with interim boss Rafa Benitez announcing he will leave the club in the summer after blasting the club's hierarchy and fans.

The Anzhi Makhachkala coach enjoyed a successful three months as caretaker boss for the Blues in 2009, guiding the club to the Champions League semi-finals and an FA Cup final victory over Everton.

The 66-year-old is a standout candidate with the beleaguered Spaniard set to depart Stamford Bridge at the season's end, and despite announcing his decision to retire last November, he could carry on if he feels "energetic" enough to do so.

"I enjoyed my time [at Chelsea] very much," he told reporters. "I was there almost half a year and in 27 or 30 games, we lost only to Tottenham Hotspur and in the rest achieved good results. On top of that, I really enjoyed working with the group of players.

"They have gone through a lot of changes. I'm the only man who wasn't sacked. I said to Dutch television that I might stop at the end of the season, but we have other options to go on with [Anzhi].

"And regarding other clubs, I'm 66 now and will be 67 in autumn. As long as I feel energetic and I'm not becoming and old, bitter, sour man, then I can go on. But I cannot predict where I am next season."

Hiddink left the Premier League outift despite having been asked by numerous key players to stay, including John Terry, Petr Cech, and Michael Ballack.

In his final home game - a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers - the crowd chanted Hiddink's name throughout, and called for club owner Roman Abramovich to 'sign him up.'